Photon Energy of Light Calculation

How can we calculate the photon energy of light based on its wavelength?

The photon energy of light can be calculated using the equation E = hc/λ, where E is the energy, h is Planck's constant (6.626 x 10⁻³⁴ J·s), c is the speed of light (approximately 3 x 10⁸ m/s), and λ is the wavelength in meters.

Photon Energy Calculation:

To calculate the photon energy of light based on its wavelength, we can use the formula E = hc/λ, where E is the energy in joules, h is Planck's constant, c is the speed of light, and λ is the wavelength in meters.

When we look at the formula E = hc/λ, we can see that the energy of a photon is directly proportional to the frequency of the light and inversely proportional to its wavelength. This means that light with a shorter wavelength will have higher energy photons compared to light with a longer wavelength.

By knowing the wavelength of light, we can calculate the photon energy using the given formula. It is essential to convert the wavelength into meters if it is given in nanometers, as the formula requires the wavelength to be in meters.

Once we have the wavelength in meters, we can substitute the values of Planck's constant and the speed of light into the formula to calculate the photon energy. The result will be in joules, which can then be converted to electronvolts for a more commonly used unit of energy in the context of light and photons.

Understanding how to calculate the photon energy of light based on its wavelength allows us to quantify the energy carried by individual photons and gain insights into the behavior of light at the quantum level. It's fascinating to explore the relationship between wavelength, energy, and the nature of light through these calculations.